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From: chidder@fred.aurora.edu
Subject: Re: What makes a good I-F game
Message-ID: <322C9F62.2CD1@fred.aurora.edu>
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 1996 21:13:06 +0000
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> Interesting synopsis.  I've played a few games on the Commodor-64.  They were
> interesting.  I didn't like the delivery method.  You know blank screen then
> setting, then command prompt.  I know it is probably hard to get around
> this with the gaming engines used.  This is not real exciting.  The sceens
> too were not real developed and lacked that appeal to go on.  Those were the
> first games though.  I looked at a couple games off of gmd ftp site.  They
> were similar.  So I am going to interject my own techniques.  First an
> appealing delivery method: ascii graphics
   
  Have to disagree with you here.  Id much rather have no graphics at
  all.  Lets force people to use their imagination instead of giving 
  pictures; and with ascii art, generally poorly drawn pictures at
  that.

.  Then the story line.  I remember
> and had seen books called create your own adventure.  These were simple.
> They developed different story lines jumping all over the book.  I got them
> for my son a long time ago.  So what I plan to do is first write a short
> story completely through.  Filled with lots of action and then create
> shooter stories off of certain points.  You as the player, control the
> main character.  At points you interact with other characters as if you
> were the main character. You need to get information from the characters to
> complete the game.   I think developing a short story first gives you the
> settings, scenes, and narrative that make it interesting and you're always
> progressing (which I think is important in a game).  Those I-F games I've
> seen you're going from room to room and may not accomplish any thing. 
Here
> you can't but help but progress.  The difference is you may (and probably
> will a lot of the time) be going down the wrong thread of the story line.
> So you go back to a saved point and continue from there.

  I agree with you about the short story writing first(Although for 
  my game SHOPPING, all I have is a rough outline).  But, at least
  for me the choose your own adventure format is annoying in the
  way it restricts my choices.  For example:

  'Oh and by the way, we plan on blowing up your planet.'

   Press <1> To negotiate with the alien.
   Press <2> To blow him up.
   Press <3> To scare him to death by telling him Dole might be Pres.


  Id much rather figure out what to do for msyelf and bang my head
against the wall for hours, or beg on a newsgroup <g>, then have my 
choices reduced to : Press 1 , die, restore, Press 3, die, restore,
Press 2: goto next segment in the game.











  This should be
> sort of a (Create your on adventure/I-F/interactive with characters) type
> of game.  There is no engine that lets me do this all I guess so I'll
> have to create my own from Pascal or Basic.  Let me know what you think.
> 
> Regards,
> Lyle
> 






I wish you luck.  From my Basic/Pascal knoweledge it shouldnt be too 
hard.
'
Chidder> 
>

